Berhampur: Tension gripped MKCG Medical College in Odisha’s Berhampur following a clash between students of the state-run premier institute and those from VIMSAR-Burla and Cuttack SCB Medical College in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to sources, the incident took place at around 3 am near Hostel Number 3 after students from Burla and Cuttack arrived here to participate in the Inter-Medical College Meet, which began on October 11. The interaction soon escalated into a scuffle as the students of the host college vandalised the bus in which they had arrived and smashed its glasses by pelting stones. They also threw mud and cow dung at them.
A few of the students sustained injuries in the seemingly unprovoked attack. They were treated and later discharged from hospital.
Though the reason behind the assault is not known, it is suspected to be the fallout of past enmity between the students. SCB Medical College had hosted the event last year.
MKCG Dean Professor Suchitra Das called the incident “regrettable” and emphasised that such conflicts should be avoided in the future.
A college council meeting is scheduled for 4 pm to address the issue and discuss preventive measures, involving representatives from all participating colleges. The meet, originally set to run until October 18 with students from 18 regional medical colleges, has also been paused to ensure safety of participants and discipline.
Sources further stated that the students of SCB and VIMSAR have returned to their respective colleges. No police case has been filed in connection with the incident.
In 2023, a similar clash was reported between students VIMSAR and MKCG during ‘Euphoria,’ the inter-medical college festival, in which at least nine students from both sides were hospitalised due to injuries and asphyxiation.